Sensory Deprivation
by amelia day
Summary: Katniss walks a mile in Peeta's shoes. A one-shot outtake from the "With Eyes to Hear" universe. Modern Day AU.


**Disclaimer: The Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins.**

A big thank you to nmoreblack for stepping in as a fill-in beta for this piece.

_For fnur: the best beta in the entire universe. Get well soon, dearest. _

* * *

**In Which a Bet is Made**

Katniss Everdeen

* * *

_May 2013: Monday_

Peeta's sleepy eyes are still closed when he stirs, rousing slightly from my tease along his jawline.

"_Katniss," _Peeta signs before rubbing his eyes, then squinting to give me a _very_ scolding look. _"Quit it unless you wanna hit it." _

"Mmm," I moan a little against his pulse point, making the hand which grips my waist tighten spastically. His eyes flutter open a moment later, the blue orbs laced with a sensual darkness.

"_I like option B," _I sign, licking my lips slightly with the words. His eyes - trained on my parted mouth - drop down to watch my hands trail gentle patterns along the bare skin of his abdomen.

After Peeta and I became official, our sleepover attire slowly became less and less present. And on a night as hot as last night was, nothing but checkered boxers and a sheet over Peeta's skin.

"_We have..." _his fingers falter as I tease his waistband. _"School."_

"_We have time," _I justify, my lips working their way closer to his as my eyes dart to the wall clock which hangs on the opposite side of Peeta's room. Barely six and Peeta is already rock hard. We definitely have time.

With no further convincing needed, Peeta shifts our body weight in one fluid motion, pushing me back against the mattress with my arms over the top of my head. His right leg hooks over my hips and he grinds his erection down into me fervently. I moan at the feeling, growing impossibly wetter and arch my back into him, excitedly.

The veins in his arms bulge as they hold mine in place and his head dips to catch each of my exposed nipples in his mouth, making them stand at erect points. His eyes fixate themselves on mine as he bites down with just enough pressure to make me gasp and convulse. His lips turn up into a wicked grin around the sensitive flesh.

I pull my hands free from his grasp and weave them through his hair, pulling at the roots tightly as my legs wrap themselves around his hips, pushing my middle further into his with need. With each upward buck he offers, the thin and slippery material of my underwear grazes my clit, causing my breath to hitch in time with his own.

Peeta's face lifts from its attack on my tits and one of his thick hands replaces it, palming at me skillfully. I crane my neck in effort to reach his lips quicker and with one more intake of breath, his mouth meets mine with force as his tongue thrusts its way past my parted lips.

Unwilling to wait any longer, I try using my feet to pull his boxers free from his body. They make it about halfway down his butt before a breathless chuckle tickles my face and Peeta reaches down to remove them completely. I hook my fingers through the loop of my own underwear and take the moment to push them down as well, flicking them off my ankle for a solid thirty-seconds as Peeta expertly distracts me by sucking and nipping at my neck.

He positions himself at my entrance and wastes no time before plunging into me, gasping as I clench around him tightly. His hands come down to fist the sheet underneath me as he begins to to move into me further.

I gasp at his long, fluid strokes and will my eyes to stay open as his fingers wander down the path of my belly button until they dip between our bodies to find my small clit. He teases the nub gently, swiping over it back and forth in time with his movements. The hand which is not busy there stays planted by my head, steadying himself over the top of me.

His breaths coming out in harsh pants, our skin slapping against each other's and the sound of the bed frame beating against the wall behind us fills the otherwise silent room. My body feels like it's on fire under his ministrations and the deeper he plunges the warmer the pit in my stomach feels and my need intensifies.

"Peeta," I groan against the side of his neck when his head drops down beside mine - a sure sign that he is close.

"Ugh," he whimpers quietly, his thrusts becoming slightly more erratic and the hand on my clit working more vigorously.

I can feel myself clenching tighter around Peeta... and my chest heaves greatly with the ever steadying _build_ up inside my groin. My hands fly to Peeta's exposed back, digging into his skin, pulling him as close to my body as physics allow as the colors around me grow brighter and the walls begin to melt.

"I-I'm coming!" I call out for no one but me to hear. But Peeta knows - with his eyes transfixed on my face and jaw slightly slack, _he knows_ - and a moment later he falls apart alongside me.

After a shaky moment, he falls off from on top of me to land on his back and our breathing slowly begins to return to normal. Keeping my eyes fixated on the ceiling above I reach blindly for his hand, pulling it up until it's in line with my face. From the corner of my eye I see his head tilt to the side to watch my busy fingers, but I stay focused on his hand in front of me, pressing the two middle fingers down into his palm.

_I love you._

His goofy grins expands once he's realized what I've done and he wiggles his hand in front of me for a moment before snatching it back to raise himself into a sitting position.

"_Well that was a very nice... wake up call," _he tells me, pressing a stray piece of hair from my face. _"But if we don't hurry we'll be late for school, and I don't think either of us really want to explain that one to Mr. Snow."_

I groan a little, rolling my eyes exaggeratedly.

"_I think there should be a new rule; no mentioning Mr. Snow for _at least_ fifteen minutes after sex."_

Peeta chuckles, pulling a shirt over the top of his head before replying; _"Sounds good to me." _

"_Good."_

It doesn't take long for us to finish getting ready at all. We both dress for the day in silence and while Peeta brushes his teeth, I re-braid my hair. While I brush mine, he throws a little water on top of his unruly mess and flashes me a wink before disappearing down the staircase.

With Mr. Mellark already at the bakery for the morning, the house is eerily silent. When Peeta's twin brothers - Bannock and Rye - first left for school, he seemed somewhat excited about the change, naturally. But now, with nearly a year having gone by, it's evident they are missed by us both.

They're only a few hours away and come back to visit all the time though. In fact, in just a few short weeks they'll be home for summer and Peeta will have plenty of time to _un-miss_ them all over again.

* * *

"_Quit grinning," _Peeta teases, keeping a steady pace beside me as we race for the main entrance of the school. The bell has only went off moments earlier and if we hurry, we can make it in time.

"_You're totally giving away our cover," _he continues on.

"_So?" _I question, stopping so short just before the door to our classroom that Peeta nearly trips over me.

"_Maybe I don't care about people knowing what we were up to this morning at all."_

He stares at me incredulously, his mouth parted slightly before giving his head a short shake and blinking. His confused (and slightly dazed) expression erupts into a grin before he playfully nudges my elbow.

The bell rings and I stare back at him with a careful smirk before turning on my heels to enter the classroom.

* * *

They say your senior year of high school is a _prime_ _moment_ in youth, one to look back on with fond memories and one-of-a-kind experiences.

This time of year especially - it being just four and a half short weeks until graduation - should be particularly special and filled with excitement for the days ahead.

_Instead, _Peeta paces around the bakery, signing furiously into the air, stressed _the fuck out. _I sigh, hopping onto the countertop to watch him with a raised eyebrow and folded arms.

The thing that seems to really have his panties twisted is the upcoming finals we'll be preforming in just a week or so. He's not alone in feeling utterly unprepared, I know a couple others who have expressed their nervousness too, but I guess I'm just confused because I can't remember Peeta mentioning any of this before late last week.

And he's beginning to drive me a little mad.

"_I mean, didn't it feel like we flew through that lesson with little to no explanation?... What?" _He drops his hands and discontinues his rant to look up at my shaking head with questioning eyes.

"_Nothing," _I insist with a smirk. _"Your nerves are just showing is all."_

"_What nerves?" _he questions, releasing a slight snort with his signing words. _"I'm not nervous for it, I just feel like we-"_

"_-Could have been more prepared, I know. But Peeta? We've been preparing for these exams for months now." _

"_Have not," _he scoffs. _"Weeks, I'll give you. But _months? _No."_

"_Either way, it's stuff we've been learning all year. Nothing is being sprung on you, you've known about this all along." _

"_Yes, but... I don't know. Back in Capitol they were a lot more thorough about going over the information." _

My eyes narrow with his words and around me I can feel the air thickening as the conversation begins to make a turn for the worst.

"_Well good for Capitol." _Although my body language is light and teasing, my teeth grit inside my mouth._"If you liked Capitol so much, why didn't you stay?"_

I'm not sure why the question bubbles to the forefront of my mind, or why I end up asking him - because do I _really_ want to know the answer? It takes great effort not to avert my eyes to the ground and I shift back and forth from each foot as Peeta stares at me with a slight smirk.

"_Well, for starters the food _sucked," he sticks his tongue out with his words, making a face of disgust that I can't help but smile a little at. _"The drive out there wasn't so great either; rather long and tedious if you ask me."_

"_Waste of gas, too," _I chime in, the air becoming lighter.

"_And what was that third reason?" _he wonders to himself, looking up at the ceiling. _"Oh right, it didn't have you. And that was kind of a big deal-breaker."_

My cheeks begin to sting with an impending blush that only deepens when he flashes me a smooth smile. I brush a lock of hair back behind my ear and shrug my shoulders indifferently.

"_Don't think I haven't caught onto your tricks, Peeta Mellark," _I say, waving a finger in his direction, only half-jokingly. _"You're just trying to butter me up so I'll go to Delly's graduation."_

It's been two weeks since Peeta originally asked me about attending Capitol's graduation ceremony and a party hosted afterward at no other than Delly Cartwright's house. When he first broached the topic, I had interpreted it as him asking if _he_ could attend. It was only when I realized that I was expected to tag along with him that our problems began.

I didn't want to go. There was no reason for me to be there... _none. _But, that didn't mean Peeta couldn't go. I know he has friends in Capitol - Delly included - but those aren't my friends, and he doesn't need to babysit me on the rare occasion he actually gets to hang out with them.

Plus, _apparently_ Delly has a boyfriend now (not that I've _seen_ this boyfriend, but Annie has and told me firsthand). So, I'm slightly less concerned about her trying to jump mine.

Peeta's expression turns sheepish as he eyes me from underneath his long, blonde eyelashes.

"_Not buttering you up," _Peeta protests. _"Just changing your mind." _

I roll my eyes, jumping off the countertop as a customer walks through the main door, browsing the products through the glass case.

"_You can try, but you will not succeed. Now quit complaining about school and get some work done," _I warn him playfully before turning my attention to her. "What can I help you with today?"

Peeta turns to the counter behind us and begins kneading bread dough a little rougher than usual. I hear it smack and slap against the wood before his fists begin beating into it diligently. The noise catches the lady's eye and her lips begin to turn down as I lean my weight to the side, blocking him from her view.

She's indecisive, and it takes her twenty minutes and five samples to realize all along she's just wanted a plain load of italian bread.

"That all?" I actually wince as the words escape my mouth, but luckily she is all set. I wrap up her bread and watch until she's left the bakery to turn back to Peeta, who is still pounding away at new doughy rolls of bread.

I kick his butt lightly, making him jump at the suddenness of the movement before eyeing me skeptically, attempting to suppress a smirk.

"_Are you done moping now?" _I tease, leaning a hip against the countertop he works on. He turns to me, smearing one of his flour-clad fingers over my cheek before I can jerk away from the touch with a squeal.

"_I'm done," _he promises with the roll of his eyes.

"_Good," _I nudge him. _"Because it's really not that bad."_

I disappear into the back room, stretching to my tip toes to reach the shelf that holds paper towels and windex before reappearing into Peeta's view once more, setting my contents onto the counter next to the register.

"_I'm just as stressed out as you are," _I promise, one hand planted firmly on my hip.

"_That's not true," _he insists, shaking his head and my smirk drops to a frown as my eyebrows furrow.

"_Yes, it is."_

"_No," _he shakes his head. _"Katniss, you don't get it, everything is harder when you can't hear and constantly need interpretation. Sure, I'm used to it - I've lived this way my entire life - but, growing up in a world as fast-paced as our own, you have no choice but to keep up or fall face first on the ground. It's exhausting."_

"_Don't be a drama king," _I shoot back before squirting some windex into a paper towel, running it across the length of the glass display case.

"_I bet your world isn't very much different from mine."_

It's not that I don't think Peeta endures _any _hardships having grown up deaf... that would just be ignorant. I've seen first hand the problems that have befallen him because he's incapable of hearing instructions or a conversation that's happening between two other people. But, I also know Peeta is very good at relying on his eyes and with Mrs. Coin there to help translate for him - how hard could it really be? He's learning the same things I am, just through sign instead of speaking.

"_Oh Katniss,"_ Peeta signs, letting out a breathless chuckle. _"That is not a bet I would make if I were you."_

"_Oh really?" _I challenge with a raised eyebrow. _"Let's make this interesting then. I bet you ten dollars-"_

"_Ah, ah," _Peeta cuts in, shaking his finger 'no.' _"I'm not going to take your money, Katniss."_

Cocky little shit...

"_Plus," _he continues. _"How uninteresting is that? No. If we're going to bet, we're going to _bet."

"_What's your wise idea, then?" _I challenge, and he thinks for a long moment before casting a glance back at me.

"_I bet that you cannot go a single week deaf. No breaks, no time-outs. One week, no speaking, no hearing - just signing." _

"_Simple," _I yawn and he frowns deeply, his eyes narrowing. _"What are the stakes?"_

"_If I win," _Peeta begins confidently. _"You have to come to the Capitol graduation ceremony _and_ the party Delly invited us to afterwards with me." _

I stare back at him with wide eyes, lip slightly parted to make a rebuttal before I see him raise an eyebrow tauntingly in my direction. If I make a big fuss about his prize, I've basically just admitted to failure. And seeing as how I'm _going_ to win, I can't allow him to experience any sort of satisfaction.

"_All right," _I nod in agreement. _"But if I win, I get a 'stay home guilt-free' pass, not only in a few weeks for the graduation, but five more times when I feel so inclined to use them."_

Peeta grinds his teeth, making his square jaw more pronounced before thrusting his hand out into my direction. I grab it readily and his grip tightens as he begins shaking it up and down.

_Deal._

* * *

"_I really don't think you realize what you've gotten yourself into," _Peeta tells me as we lay side by side on our bellies.

It's been several hours since the bet was made in the bakery, but this is at least the third time Peeta has expressed some form of doubt in my abilities.

I frown in his direction, tossing my heavy math book onto the floor beside me before sitting up more fully with crossed legs.

"_You know, if I didn't know any better I'd say someone was a little worried that I might actually win."_

"_Who me? Nah, I'm not worried," _he assures with a goofy grin. _"Quite honestly, I give it a day, let alone a week."_

"_Asshole."_

He winks, pulling the earbud thats pressed into his canal free and tossing it onto the mattress below us. Music blares from the pulsing buds until I turn off my iPod off and wind the earphones around it, setting it on the dresser.

A lot of people found it strange that I shared my music with Peeta - mean even, as if I were taunting him. What they didn't understand is that Peeta actually _liked_ the music. The vibrations in his ears felt nice and it was just another small way in which we connected our two worlds together.

"_Here you are, madam," _he says, presenting me with bright pink earplugs that looked almost like putty.

"_Really?" _I frown, and he bites his lip to keep from laughing. _"Did ya pick the brightest color they offered?"_

He holds them out further to me, shaking his hands a little and I take them from him, molding them to my ears easily before testing them out with a simple: _hello?_

It sounds like I'm underwater. My voice is loud inside my own head but any outside noise is either non-existent or muffled depending on the volume.

"_How do they feel?" _Peeta asks, his expression somewhat hopeful.

Although he hasn't actually said anything about it yet, I think Peeta is secretly thrilled about our new experiment. Throughout his life, there have been so many times where he's been forced to adjust to hearing standards that I think he's excited to watch me adjust to his.

I give Peeta a thumbs up which he matches readily with a goofy grin. We dip our bodies underneath the blankets and as I crane my body to the side to hit the lamp off, I feel a poke the center of my back.

When I turn back to glance at Peeta, he's staring at me with a rather serious look, twisting the blankets beneath him.

"_Hey, uh... you don't _have_ to do this if you don't want to," _he assures me, no joking evident in his face. _"I was only half-serious earlier in the bakery and -"_

"_Are you trying to get me to forfeit already?"_ I cut him off, incredulously. He glances at me confused before a slight smile begins to paint his features.

"_Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater," _I accuse, poking his side. _"Competition doesn't even start for another..." _I glance at the time on my phone. _"Hour and a half."_

"_I almost had you," _he kids back before lowering himself into a laying position, pulling the covers up high over his shoulders. I flicker off the light and cuddle down into the bed next to him. His arm comes to rest around my body, drawing me closer and he places a gentle kiss on my forehead before taking my hand in his own.

He pushes my two middle fingers down and holds the hand over the top of my heart in the darkness.

_I love you._

I kiss the palm which rests over mine, squeezing it back in response.

_I love you, too._

* * *

_Day 1: Tuesday _

The sun shines on my face in a near-blinding fashion, causing me to turn over onto my stomach, burying my face into the pillow and giving off a tired groan. It's not until then that I remember Peeta's and my bet from the previous afternoon.

I raise a finger to the side of my face, trying to stick it into my canal, but all I can feel is the slightly sticky goo which has formed itself to my ears.

_Damnit, why is the sun so bright right now? _I wonder internally, running a hand through my snarly bed head. I reach blindly around on the floor for my telephone and wrap my hand around it, pulling it up to glance at the time...

And holy fuck it's nearly nine in the morning.

I sit up straighter in bed, rubbing my eyes before looking at the same time which flashes before me unfailingly.

_SHIT._

I lean over to shake Peeta awake, preparing to explain that we have to leave _NOW _because I slept through my fucking alarm. My hand flies down and hits the mattress hard, instead of the skin of Peeta's back like I expect.

I glance around for a moment in distorted confusion, because Peeta _never_ wakes up on his own, until my hand crunches a folded piece of notebook paper below me.

I pull it open and read through the quick note written in Peeta's handwriting, unmistakably. Anger continues to swell up within me the longer I spend staring at it.

_Sweet dreams ;)_

That little fucker. I hop out of bed and stomp down the hallway into the bathroom, hurrying to get ready so I can get to class...

And _kill_ Peeta.

* * *

I arrive to school in-between passing periods and find Peeta leaning against his locker easily, chatting with a group of our friends.

Finnick glances up to spot me first, and his easy going smile melts into a deep frown as he takes in my gaze. He taps Peeta's shoulder, pointing in my direction as if his _ten second warning _could possibly help his _buddy_ out. Peeta's smile only increases at the sight of me though, and he folds his arms across his chest.

"_You can wipe that smug look off your face any time now, Peeta," _I snap, using extra-effort not to yell out verbally in time with my hands. Having done it my whole sign-speaking life, it comes very unnaturally to try doing it wordlessly and I have to bite my tongue to keep myself in check.

"_How'd you sleep, beauty?" _Annie asks, biting back a chuckle which dies on her lips as she notes my expression.

The sound of students throughout the hallway is muffled in my plugged-ears and without being able to make out any words specifically, I hear just enough for it to be maddening. I wonder though, if this is what it sounds like in Annie's mind.

Peeta reaches out to push a piece of stray hair behind my ear and I slap his hand away from me in annoyance. This only seems to amuse him more, though.

"_To be honest, you made it in earlier than I expected," _Peeta admits. _"I thought you'd never be joining us."_

"_Shut up," _I command, pushing my book bag up further onto my shoulders. _"Come on, let's go."_

I tug on Peeta's arm, pulling him in the direction of our class as he turns to wave goodbye to our dwindling group of friends who linger in the slow-clearing halls.

The fact is, I'm more annoyed with myself than anyone else, because it's barely ten hours into the bet and I'm already failing.

If Peeta wants to tease me, he refrains and tightens his grip on my hand as we turn up the staircase to class.

Ms. Coin is waiting by Peeta's desk when we walk into class and her eyebrows lift at my late arrival. She's probably wondered where I was these past couple of periods, too.

"_Hello, Katniss," _she greets through sign, her lips pressed into a tight smile. Peeta must have told her about my given circumstances, because she never once opens her lips to speak. I wave a quick hello and take my typical seat next to Peeta, tossing my book bag to the floor.

Kids file in routinely, and our teacher stands up from her spot behind the desk to begin copying some things from a piece of paper onto the chalkboard. I see her lips moving and can hear the tone in her voice, but every word she says is inaudible.

It's annoying as fuck, almost unbearably so, but I sit still in my seat and keep my eyes focused on her as if it doesn't bother me at all. Peeta's hand touches the corner of my desk and I'm taken by surprise, not having heard him approaching. He points to Ms. Coin, who stands to his side, signing every word uttered by our main teacher.

I send him a tight smile.

"_Thanks."_

Ms. Coin is a fast signer.

Peeta keeps up with her effortlessly, studying her expressions for the meaning behind her words before jotting down quick notes, nodding his head in agreement with what she is telling him.

_Of course he's flawless at it, _my mind harps at me. _He's been doing it all his life._

His words from yesterday stick in the forefront of my mind: _In a world as fast-paced as our own, you have no choice but to keep up or fall face first on the ground. It's exhausting. _

Well, I refuse to fall face first. At least not on day one. That's just pathetic. But, I have to ask Ms. Coin to repeat herself throughout more than half the class and by the time we pick up our books to head off to lunch I have a headache that pounds behind my left eyeball.

"_I'll meet you in the lunchroom, okay?" _I tell Peeta before turning in toward the girls bathroom. He nods, pulling his book bag up higher on his shoulders and disappearing down the stairwell.

Being in the bathroom alone is nice. There's no consistent _hum_ behind the earplugs like in the hallway or class and it feels as though my head can clear itself. I open up my book bag and dig through it, looking for the bottle of aspirin I know I carry.

A hand lands on my shoulder roughly and I jump at the unexpectedness of it, whipping my head around so quickly that I end up smacking Johanna in the face with my braid. Her eyes re-open a moment later and her face un-scrunches to a look of confusion.

Her lips begin moving but I hold up my hands immediately to stop her, digging back through my bag for a pad of paper and a pencil.

**Deaf for the week. **I write, shrugging my shoulders when she glances back up at me, as if it were a joke, and then because she can't quite believe it, asks:

**Wait, is this for real?**

I nod, going into the whole story of how Peeta and I came to terms of agreement for the bet and how if I make it all week I don't have to sit through Delly Cartwright's fucking graduation.

It's not that we're even on particularly bad terms anymore. After Peeta and I officially began dating last year, and Delly came over to apologize to the both of us, we actually left things off on an unspoken _don't mess with me I won't mess with you, _policy. So far, so good, and when I _do_ see her in public, our interactions are short with fake kindness.

Jo walks with me to lunch, unsure of what to say and awkwardly looking in all different directions. Every once in a while she'll open her mouth to say something to me, but it closes just as fast and she sends me a sheepish shrug.

She's doing better about learning, though. Annie has been giving her lessons whenever the two can get time to sit down with one another and practice. She's memorized a ton of key phrases since.

When Jo and I make it through the lunch line and head back toward the table, we find Peeta telling everybody in more detail about our week-long experiment.

"_I think it's great," _Annie signs. I see her lips moving in time with her hands, but hear no words come from her mouth. _"It'll be a nice opportunity for you to peer into a typical day of Peeta's life." _

I glance down at the mashed potatoes on my plate, swirling them around with a fork before stabbing it into the center, turning back up when Annie touches my hand.

"_I think Finnick should try it out, too," _she chuckles, turning her head to the left and nudging him with her elbow. Finnick pauses mid-bite with wide eyes and drops his fork back to the plate below him. His lips move quickly with words I can't hear and I wonder how Annie ever reads our lips when they're moving so seemingly fast.

He might as well be speaking gibberish for all I can tell. A moment after his last word is murmured, the table bursts into hysterics... but, I've missed the joke.

I feel kind of... embarrassed with everyone around me laughing and chatting with one another, like I'm out of place in their circle and don't quite fit into the puzzle. I force a smile to my lips awkwardly and find my hands fiddling for something to keep me busy.

From the corner of my eye, I notice Peeta staring at me intently. When I turn to face him fully, he's studying my expression, trying to gauge the reaction. I offer him a smile I know he'll read as fake and it falls from my lips a moment later as Annie taps the table in-between the both of us.

"_He said: He'd better learn sign a little better first," _Annie translates because although she's deaf now, she grew up hearing and can read lips very well.

I let out what I know to be a small chuckle though it sounds impossibly loud inside of my head and see Peeta's lips open up with his own laughter as well. He goes on to tell Finnick that he thinks he speaks sign just fine and could do this easily.

"_Hey, bros don't throw bros under the bus," _Finnick counters with a wink and although everyone at the table starts laughing again, I turn back down to my murdered potatoes, feeling oddly left out of place.

* * *

_Day 2: Wednesday_

I did not make the mistake of sleeping through my alarm two days in a row and I wake up to my phone jostling underneath my pillow as it vibrates practically the entire bed. I pull it out from underneath me and groan, tossing it to the floor below me and rolling onto my back to stretch out my limbs.

Peeta is still asleep beside me and the sun is rising in the sky hazily through my window blinds. I sit up with a tired yawn and twist from left to right until my back cracks soothingly before getting up and out of bed, heading for the bathroom.

With one day under my belt already, a new surge of confidence ripples through me and I feel as though I can really _do_ this.

I twist the knobs inside of the shower and step inside, sighing under it's warmth.

_This isn't so bad, _I tell myself, allowing my eyes to fall closed. _I've got this._

* * *

In English today, we learn that starting on Friday we'll all be expected to give five-minute oral presentations on our favorite aspects of our year-long class, and the books we've enjoyed reading this course.

Although I still hate public speaking, I've gotten a lot better at it and am to the point where I can actually stand up in front of the class without nearly breaking out in hives.

I copy down all the information we'll need for the presentation from the chalkboard before Ms. Coin captures my attention, handing me a thin packet of paper from a manilla folder she carries. I glance down at it with confusion - no one else got the packet, except for Peeta.

And then it dawns on me.

_We_ can't give oral presentations.

I look over the long list of directions (seemingly much longer than the criteria listed on the chalkboard) and frown, tossing it on top of my notebook.

"_Do you think he'll allow me to do a written essay as well?" _I ask Ms. Coin, wondering to myself how this'll affect the bet if the answer is 'no.'

Fortunately though (and unfortunately), Ms. Coin tells us she's taken the liberty of approaching our teacher herself to ask if this would be an acceptable alternative for me as well as for Peeta. His answer, evidently had been yes.

"_He thinks it's a great little experiment the two of you are conducting," _she beams and my expression only sours. Peeta sticks his own papers into his folder, smirking over at me casually as he leans back in his chair.

"_Writing essays is easy," _I inform him, hoping to clear the smugness from his gaze, but it only deepens as a large grin erupts on his face.

"_You think so, huh? Well, I hope for your sake that you're right."_

"_You've never complained about them before," _I argue.

"_It's not like I had any other choice but to do them," _he replies with a shrug. _"Keep up or be left behind, remember?"_

Yes, I remember.

* * *

Peeta and I decide to spend our study hall in the library to get a head start on our essays. We're not allowed to help one another - just like other students aren't allowed to buddy up for their oral presentations - and to eliminate the appearance of cheating, we sit four chairs apart from one another in the long line of computers.

I pull out my English binder, where I've tucked the packet of directions for the essay inside of, and yank it free, setting it out in front of the screen. The pencil in my hand taps against the table below me rhythmically and I realize just how much I am missing music. If I were legitimately deaf, like Peeta, I could press the bud to my ear and listen to the vibrations. But, with the plugs in my ears, the task is impossible. Also, after hearing _music_ for so long, I feel my appreciation for the vibrations would be lackluster in comparison to Peeta's.

_Come on, Everdeen, _I think to myself as I chance a glance Peeta's way to see him already typing away madly. I stare back at my own blank document, the cursor blinking tauntingly and sigh, running a hand through my hair.

I feel my phone vibrate against my thigh and pull it free to see it blinking with a new message from Peeta. I chance a look his way, but he doesn't ever look away from his computer, typing furiously. At that rate, he'll be practically finished by the end of the period.

_Welcome to hell, _the message reads and I frown, looking it over a couple more times before my fingers begin to press against the keyboard.

_There is nothing hellish about this, _I type reassuringly, though I'm not sure if it's directed toward myself or him. I turn back to my messages, typing another quick reply before he has the chance to respond.

_You seem to be doing just fine yourself, anyway._

My phone vibrates a moment later. It's a picture of a blank document with a text underneath that says: _appearances are misleading._

_What are you doing over there? _I type, unable to keep from laughing. He tells me he's been playing a game all along and will have to work on his essay this evening.

* * *

"_Somehow, I don't think preparing a five minute presentation is this time consuming," _Peeta teases as he, me and Primrose make our way to his car for the afternoon. Prim drags behind us, glued to her cell phone, feeling slightly left out as of late due to my inability to include her properly.

"_Are you kidding me?" _I say, after falling into the seat beside Peeta, buckling my seatbelt. _"Once you write the essay it's finished. Done. Presentations are a lot harder, you don't realize how _easy_ you have it."_

Peeta seems only half convinced by my argument, shrugging his shoulders before turning around to pull out of the parking space and onto the main road.

I think I'm even less convinced than he is.

* * *

_Day 3: Thursday_

"_This is boring as-" _Finnick stops signing to think for a long second before adding: _"fuck." _

It's a slow afternoon in the bakery. We've cleaned all the windows and display cases, made a couple batches of fresh goods that we'll more than likely have to wrap up later on tonight and done lots of _standing around _waiting for the time to pass a little quicker.

Finnick has agreed to come by the bakery today after school and help us out by talking with customers and answering telephones, since both Peeta and I are unable. It's good for him, I think, and Peeta has even taught him how to make some bread.

"_We could always close up early," _Peeta suggests, taking a cookie from the basket they sit in and breaking it in half, offering me the other side. _"I don't think we'd be losing much business."_

The idea is appealing, but as soon as we begin preparations to follow through, I see movement from the front door and a moment later Delly appears, waving nonchalantly in our direction and looking around the bakery with curiosity.

Her long hair is pulled up into a pony tail that still falls half way down her torso as she pulls it over her shoulder. The hot weather does little to help in the way of covering up and she sports a pair of impossibly _short_ shorts and a flowing t-shirt which accentuates her chest and curves in all the right ways.

I feel heat rising to my face at the mere sight of her, and glare daggers into the back of Peeta's head as he smiles in her direction.

_They're friends. _I remind myself. _I'm okay with this. She has a boyfriend. This isn't flirting. _

It's not even that I'm the jealous type. She just... brings that side out in me. Finnick meets my gaze from beside me and gives my shoulder a gentle and reassuring pat.

"_Hey Peeta! Katniss, Finnick..." _she gives a small nod in our direction before leaning both her arms against the counter, pressing her tits closer together, seemingly unnoticeably.

_She has a boyfriend._

"_Delly," _I respond and she points to my ears in confusion.

"_You've got a little something in your ear, there." _

"_Oh, they're ear plugs," _Peeta chimes in excitedly, and then continues to delve into the entire story of why they're in my ears. He's conveniently left out that the bet we've placed has high stakes - like spending more than ten minutes in her company - and smoothes it over by saying he didn't believe I could do it.

"_And you know Katniss," _he grins. _"Always up for a good challenge."_

"_Yes. That she is," _Delly smirks, looking me over skeptically.

The door opens again and this time, a tall, broad-set man walks through smiling as he makes eye contact with Delly, then Peeta and I. He has deep brown hair that's cut close to his head and long limbs that cause him to tower over the top of Delly.

She looks up at him with a broad and adoring smile before turning back to us with enthusiasm.

"_This is T-h-o-m," _Delly introduces who I assume to be her boyfriend.

"_My boyfriend," _she signs giggling.

Yup. Good. This is good news.

"_Hi, nice to meet you," _I say, introducing myself and then Peeta. He waves hello and begins to ask typical questions before realizing that I am not actually deaf myself, just a sign-speaker. It's evident that Finnick can hear, as he has not perfected the language yet, but with me it's slightly harder to tell. Delly goes on to explain - _yet _again - about Peeta and my bet and how this is my third day living in the life of someone who cannot hear.

"_Wish I had known about this bet," _she says, her expression hinting at joking. _"I'd have been eager to put some money into the pool."_

"_I would have been eager to take it," _I reply shortly, causing her boyfriend - and Peeta and Finnick - to burst into laughter around me. Peeta slides a secure arm around my waist, squeezing it gently and I sink into his embrace.

"_I think it's amazing that you learned sign language just for Peeta," _Thom signs, genuinely, looking between Peeta and I. _"Takes a special kind of person to do that. And to do that for."_

"_Yes, definitely," _Delly agrees readily. _"Though, I feel the need to mention that sign language is definitely not the _hardest_ language to pick up on."_

"_Easy for you to say," _Thom interjects before anyone else can, nudging her arm playfully. _"We had no choice but to learn it. Katniss did it because she wanted to, not needed to."_

Perhaps this Thom guy isn't so bad after all. Even if he _is_ dating Delly.

She grits her teeth, shrugging slightly and, for once, has nothing else to contribute. She announces that they really should get going, they have dinner plans and had only meant to stop by here in passing. Before leaving, she picks out a selection of different cookies which Peeta tosses into a bag for her, explaining how to heat them up since they're best eaten warm.

"_Thank you, they look delicious," _Delly says, her eyes meeting both Peeta's and mine. I offer her a smile in return, though my hand grips the counter in front of me and once Thom finishes paying they wave goodbye and head for the door.

Finnick reappears from inside of the supply closet and makes a wide-eyed expression in my direction.

"_How did it go?" _he wonders, and I'm amazed how far he's come in the way of signing in just one year.

"_I think Katniss is more determined now than ever to win this bet," _Peeta snickers, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and shaking it slightly. I turn up to look at him with hard-set eyes and an unreadable smirk.

"_Oh, I am."_

* * *

_Day 4: Friday_

I am beginning to crack.

I remind myself to remain strong - that there are no _pause _or _time-out_ buttons in Peeta's life and the silence that is beginning to drive me mad is the world in which he lives in daily.

However with each passing _minute_ I begin to take closer notice of the plugs that sit in my ears, very well aware that with one simple pull...

I could be _free._

* * *

_Day 5: Saturday_

"_Katniss, you could have been killed!" _

"_That truck came out of nowhere!" _I say for probably the hundredth time, moving dramatically in time with my signed-words as I fight to properly explain myself to Peeta.

"_No, you weren't using your eyes!" _he retorts, jabbing a finger in my direction before running a thick hand through his hair, pacing back and forth on the pavement.

It's a beautiful day for mid-May. The sun shines heavily above us and with not a cloud in the sky, it appears to be a more vibrant shade of blue. With temperatures not unbearably hot, Peeta and I decided to take a walk around downtown.

The afternoon had been going quite lovely, actually, and Peeta and I were just on our way to get ice-cream cones when the incident happened.

I _swear_ the truck flew out of nowhere, but Peeta will claim he saw it a mile away and I was simply not paying attention. We had been waiting at the crosswalk, and when the coast seemed clear, I began walking out into the road.

Well, that's when the emergency vehicle came flying out of mid-air, honking its horn loudly. I hadn't heard the sirens until it was practically on top of me, and Peeta jerked me back onto the walkway by my forearm, about ready to have an aneurysm.

"_I lose," _he announces, throwing his hands into the air._ "We have to call this bet off." _

"_What? No. Peeta, it's _fine. _I'm _fine. _Calm down," _I reassure him, grabbing either side of his arms to still his frantic movements.

"_Nothing happened." _

He breathes deeply, his stiff shoulders relaxing slightly before he begins shaking his head slowly from left to right.

"_But something _could _have happened," _he continues, stubbornly. _"And I just... I don't think this is a good idea anymore. It was a lot to throw at you and-"_

"_Since when is your life a lot to throw at me?" _I retort, growing more passionate with my words. _"Now damnit I made a bet, and until I win fair and square, I'm not quitting."_

"_It's not quitting..." _he fights dejectedly. _"It's... a safety foul."_

A smirk rises to my lips and contagiously spreads to his own, which he tries covering by running his hand over it slowly.

"_I'm okay," _I promise, reaching down to squeeze his hand in my own.

"_Okay..."_ he replies, reluctantly.

"_Come on," _I urge, moving further along the pavement. _"Let's get going."_

* * *

We call it a day on the outdoors stuff and end up laying sprawled across my bed, watching a subtitled-version of an old _Friends _re-run. It's the one where they're at the beach and Monica gets a jellyfish sting and Joey and Chandler end up peeing on it.

We've seen the episode at least a dozen times but still fall into fits of hysterical laughter over the scene where everyone else finds out about it. I feel Peeta's form shake from my position on top of his chest, but with these damn ear plugs in, his laughter is impossible to pick up on.

A deep ache settles in my chest with the need for the sound. I hadn't expected to feel so strongly about it, to crave it so insistently, but the longer I sit with my head against his body, the tighter I cling to the material of his shirt. I close my eyes and breathe deeply.

Peeta moves underneath me, forcing me off of him as he adjusts his weight to a sitting position. He clicks the television off and watches me closely with knitted eyebrows and frowning lips.

"_What's wrong?" _he deadpans, helping me to sit up across from him, mirroring his positioning.

"_I get it," _I tell him, honestly. _"I get it."_

"_Get... what?"_

"_It. Everything," _I study his eyes intently. _"You."_

"_Katniss... I..."_

"_...I'm sorry that I downplayed how hard it is being you, that I called you names for expressing to me what it's like. It was wrong of me... I was wrong. It's hard Peeta. It's so hard."_

"_Where is this coming from?" _he asks, almost worriedly and I jump into further explanation. He waits patiently, his expression melting into one of understanding the longer I continue to sign. He takes my hands in his own, stopping their movements and placing them down into his lap, silencing me.

"_Whenever I'm feeling down about being unable to hear you," _he says,_"You show me your voice." _

He lifts my wrist to his closed lips and kisses the thin skin there gently before humming against the beating pulse point. His breath is warm and with silence surrounding me, the feel of his vibrating lips circulates throughout my body with more force.

He pulls away for just a moment, meeting my eyes with a hint of nervousness etched into his own. His pale cheeks begin to flush with redness that travels down past his neck and splotches his collarbone, but I can't figure out why he is so embarrassed.

"_Katniss, there's something I've been meaning to show you. Something I... learned," _he signs, his eyes staying locked on my own, but darting down to his lap the second he's finished.

"_Okay," _I agree with a nod. _"What is it?"_

He grasps my wrist in his hold once more, pulling them up closer to his face before pausing and letting go. I leave them frozen in the air where he drops them and turn to him with ever-increasing curiosity.

"_I know that you can't hear it right now," _he continues. _"So, I can show you again some other time. I just... can't wait any longer."_

"_Show me what?" _I ask,my heart beginning to pick up its pace.

Peeta's shaking hands rest back on my own and pull them closer to his lips once more, only this time they part, and when he breathes against my skin, his lips move.

As if he were speaking.

I blink at him wildly, and his eyes meet mine hesitantly for a moment, still holding my hand against his mouth. A hundred different thoughts begin to course through my mind, all centering around the fact that Peeta has just spoken.

I _know_ he has. I just know it. His lips have never moved in that way before, the only time they do move is when he's sighing or laughing or... moaning.

_He had something new to show me._

Without thinking, I pull the ear plugs from my ears and toss them down onto the bed, staring intently back at Peeta. His jaw drops, eyes flitting between me and the plugs that are no longer stuck inside of my ears - officially signaling the bet being off.

"_Did you just speak?" _I ask him, as well as ask myself out loud, and it's the first time in five days that I've clearly heard someone's voice.

"_I'm not even sure if I'm pronouncing it the right way," _he's quick to explain, waving his hands in the air. _"I just... I wanted to learn one little thing. To... surprise you."_

I'm stunned silent, besides my breath which now comes out in ragged pants.

"_Finnick offered to help try to teach me and well... we've been working on it for a while now. But like I said, the pronunciation might be off. As it turns out, it's not exactly the easiest thing being you either."_

He offers me a timid smile which I return, though my lips falter from the nervous spasms it gives off.

"_Show me," _I beg, a hint of desperation in the look I throw at Peeta. _"Please?"_

His breath comes out shakily and he taps his hands on his thighs for a long second, looking down as he mumbles, almost incoherently: "Kat..._niss."_

I tilt his head up so it's in line with my own, urging him with my eager eyes to continue.

"Katniss," he breathes, biting down on his lip roughly. "Katniss."

His voice is masculine; deep and strong with a slight sultriness to his tone. Yet, it's smooth like silk, and although he cannot hear himself speaking, it's as though he's said my name a million times.

Perhaps he has, practicing.

My heart swells at the thought and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, which comes out as a breathly and rushed chuckle. I've spent _years _imagining what my name would sound like off his tongue, but _imagining _and actually _hearing_ are two different things entirely.

And my world is forever changed.

There's a fire inside of me that has slowly been building, and with the sound of my name on his lips, it's ignited. I look over Peeta with a new sort of hunger in my eyes, eager to take in as much of him as I can.

"_Again," _I ask of him, closing the space between our bodies as I hitch a leg over the top of his, pressing him back into the headboard gently. His eyes are wide as I wrap a palm around either side of his cheeks, pressing my forehead against his own.

"Katniss," and it comes out in an almost-moan. My lips crash onto his own a moment later and I wrap my arms around his head tightly, refusing to let him break away from me. He doesn't try to anyway. His arms paw at my back, rubbing over my tank top and pulling me impossibly closer to his own body.

With Mother away at work and Prim out with friends, the house is completely ours and I don't feel guilty or paranoid when my hips begin a steady rocking motion over the top of his. I can feel his erection hardening through the material of our pants and his breathing shallows under my ministrations.

I reach down in-between us and cup a hand over his jeans, causing him to release a whimper into my mouth, bucking up with slightly more vigor. I unhook the button and tug at the zipper with little to no build-up, shoving my hand down inside to take hold of him, my lips still battling his.

He groans as I squeeze him gently and begin pumping his flesh up and down in my tight hold. The hand that isn't wrapped around my back comes to the front of my chest and grabs hold of my tit roughly, allowing his thumb to pass over the nipple teasingly.

I break the kiss to let out a shuddering moan, looking down at his diligent hand before pulling it away in order to lift my shirt up and over my head. Peeta helps, peeling the material away from me followed closely by my old yellow bra. He lifts his own shirt up and over his head and his head falls back to hit the wall as I run my hands over his muscled belly, stopping to playfully flick at his nipples.

"_Again," _I beg, sitting up on my knees to pull my jeans off over my butt. I wear nothing underneath the fabric, and upon taking in the sight, Peeta runs his hands over his face as though he might be dreaming.

"Katnissssss," he drags it out, humoring me. And _god_ is that voice beautiful.

I push him down so he's lying flat against the mattress and help him to pull down his jeans and boxers, adding to the pile which has accumulated on my floor. His hands continue to tease up and down my body, tweaking and pulling at my nipples and running over the pebbled skin of my arms and waist.

I take his cock into my hands and as his eyes flutter closed, I use that moment to plunge down on top of him. Immediately his hands crash down onto my hips and we're both moaning out in pleasure.

_Fuck the bet. I missed this. I missed his noises. I missed him._

I lean my weight forward so that my head comes to a rest on his chest, my arms clutching at anything within reach as I use my thighs for leverage to begin thrusting on top of him.

"God," I cry out against his skin, sucking on it sweetly until it turns a dark shade of red. He tucks his head into my hair, breathing it in deeply as our movements grow more erratic.

I can feel the sweat forming on my forehead and back and the blanket which covers us slipping lower until it's halfway down our legs.

My clit rubs against the slightly prickly hairs that outline his cock and the sensation sends me into a frenzy as I push to meet his hips impossibly faster. Peeta lets out a string of unending groans as I tighten around him with my own impending orgasm and he grips my hips with his shuddering arms.

His head thrashes from left to right as his eyes screw shut tightly and his mouth dangles open, slightly ajar.

His hips begin meeting mine irregularly, signaling that he's close and when he calls out my name one last time, I cannot take anymore.

I come with a harsh cry, burying my face into his chest and gripping his shoulders painfully tight. He clings to me as his own orgasm washes over him, his entire body shuddering as I feel him empty himself inside of me.

For nearly five minutes, we lay limply, connected with one another, our limbs feeling similar to the consistency of jello. When I finally move to get off of Peeta, he stands up from the bed and pulls his boxer shorts up over his hips to walk to the bathroom for clean-up.

I wait for him, pulling the lost cover back up over my exposed body, feeling completely drained from the unexpected activity. He arrives back a short moment later, shutting the door behind him and joining me in the bed once more.

"_I lost," _I sign, sitting up and he reveals a tired smile.

"_You know, I sort of hijacked the bet," _Peeta signs, snickering to himself._ "So, I was thinking... if you really don't want to come with me to the graduation, you don't need to. It's all right."_

"_You are a crafty devil," _I agree with a smirk. _"Tricking me like that... but, no. I lost the bet fair and square, I need to keep my end of the bargain."_

"Katniss," Peeta speaks out loud and grins to himself when he sees my darkening eyes. Already my tired body hums for him. His expression hints at seriousness though when he turns back to me.

"_I _want_ to," _I stress, and as he stares into my eyes he finds no trace of a lie.

It's because I do. I want to. Even though my desire to hang around Delly Cartwright for an evening is little to non-existent, I want to do this because it means something to Peeta. He spent half his school year there last year, and has made some truly amazing friends.

Plus, worst case scenario, I'd still have Annie and Finnick.

"_You... want to?"_

I nod, plastering a genuine smile to my lips which he mirrors a moment later.

"_But, why?"_

"_Hey, are you looking for me to change my mind here?" _I tease before crossing the room to my drawer where I know one of his oversized shirts to be. I pull it over me, the thing falling down about half-way down my thighs before jumping back onto the bed.

"_I want to go because I love you and it means a lot to you for me to go. Doesn't it?"_

He grins adoringly in my direction, nodding his head slightly.

"_It would be nice to have you tag along."_

I roll my eyes.

"_Don't say I've never done anything for you," _I mumble in time with my hands and Peeta lets out a little chuckle.

"_I won't," _he signs, and then: "Katniss."

It will never get old.

"_Again."_

* * *

__Ahhh, I didn't realize how much I missed this universe, haha. I hope you all enjoyed the one-shot :) I plan to have one more come out before I begin posting the sequel though I don't have an exact time on when that will be.

Thank you for reading! Happy Easter :)


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